Doggy Dental Hygiene: Brushing, Chewing, Fragaria Vesca
His favorite toothpaste!
Verdell loves his finger brush!
Verdell loves his toothpaste even more!
His front choppers...looking good!
Back ones...not bad, but just a bit of "stuff" on them.
The other front chopper also looks good.Everyone has heard of doggy breath. It can be painful not only for humans, but for dogs too. A complete lack of attention to your dog's dental hygiene can lead to loose and abscess teeth, expensive vet bills to pull or clean Fido's teeth, or a bacterial infection that can spread to the kidney, heart, and brain. If your dog suffers from bad breath (and he hasn't just eaten cat poop), it is very possible he has periodontal disease. However, according to a study by the American Veterinary Dental Society, oral disease is the number one health problem diagnosed in dogs and cats and periodontal disease affects approximately 80 percent of dogs over the age of three.
According to the Gallup Target Market Report on Dental Care in 2001, only 20% of dog owners said they had brushed their dog's teeth. The survey of more than 1,000 pet owners, conducted by The Gallup Organization on behalf of The Iams Company, found that two-thirds of pet owners understand dental health is important to their pets' overall health. Yet, only one in five has ever brushed their pets' teeth. According to the survey, 63 percent of pet owners have never had their pets' teeth professionally cleaned. The poll finds even more room for improvement with brushing. Of the 22 percent of pet owners who ever brush their pets' teeth, only one in 10 brush daily, four in 10 brush weekly, and 20 percent say they brush only a few times a year.
Brush your dog's teeth! This might sound over the top, but if you want your dog to lead a pain-free dental existence and learn to love those well-timed, sweet-smelling dog kisses, you will commit to a dental program. You can purchase doggy toothpaste and doggy brush from any pet store. Verdell prefers beef flavored toothpaste. One thing to remember: you cannot give your dog human toothpaste. As humans, we can brush and spit the excess into the sink. Dogs will not do this and if they ingest the human toothpaste, they could be sick.
Start small if you have never brushed your dog's teeth. Let him smell the toothpaste. Brush just one tooth the first time. If he is reluctant to open his mouth, simply start with smaller steps. Maybe just lift his mouth with your fingers. Do what works best for your dog. Try this site for more tips:
Once you are in the groove, keep brushing his teeth at least 2 times a week. Remember that a six month span in a dog's life is the equivalent of several years in ours. You try skipping brushing your teeth for that long. See how happy you feel!
Another option to improve dental health is hard bones. I suggest the dog bones from Harris Teeter. Both you and your dog will be happy with the results.
An even less known option is Fragaria Vesca. It is used in many berry flavored human toothpastes. Fragaria vesca is a cousin of the wild strawberry. It is found in woods and grasslands in Europe, western Asia, North America, and temperate areas in Chile. The word straw in strawberry comes from the verb to strew, referring to the tangle of vines with which the plant covers the ground. Cultivated strawberries were developed from the wild ones.
Fragaria Vesca is used for removing tartar and dental plaque off teeth. For your dog, just put 3 pellets in water dish or in food. To brush onto teeth, place 10 pellets in 1/2 cup of water and let sit for 5 minutes, then remove pellets and brush liquid onto teeth. Do a new batch for each dog. Brush on teeth after each meal for problem teeth.
Verdell is 5 years 3 months old. During his annual exam last week the dentist asked if he recently had a dental because his teeth were in "amazing" condition. I have included some pics of his teeth at the top.
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